Coming off his breakout 2016, expectations were sky high for Johnson last year, which made it all the more devastating when his campaign lasted all of 11 carries before a dislocated left wrist landed him on injured reserve. Healthy once again, the 26-year-old will be the focal point of the Arizona offense regardless of whether Sam Bradford or Josh Rosen is under center. Johnson's speed and elusiveness are both elite, and he also has the size and explosiveness to blow through arm tackles and gain yards after contact, along with outstanding receiving skills that make him a genuine three-down threat. New coach Steve Wilks is more defensive-minded than Bruce Arians, but with former Chargers boss Mike McCoy coming in as offensive coordinator, the Cardinals should still be in good hands. McCoy maximized the talents of another prolific pass-catching back, Danny Woodhead, during his time in San Diego. While it will be tough to repeat the 20 touchdowns Johnson scored in 2016 - he needed 58 red-zone carries and 14 red-zone targets to get there - another season with more than 2,000 scrimmage yards is possible given his likely workload. The biggest question for Johnson in 2018 will be health-related - not just for him, but for a veteran Cardinals offensive line that lost both its starters on the left side to injury last year and remade its right side in free agency this offseason. Johnson is entering a contract season and skipped mandatory minicamp while angling for an extension, but he ultimately decided to show up for the start of training camp in late July. Read Past Outlooks

$Signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Cardinals in September of 2018.

Snaps scoreless streak

RBArizona Cardinals

December 16, 2018

Johnson rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries during Sunday's 40-14 loss to the Falcons. He added 68 yards on three catches.

ANALYSISSunday started about as well as you could have hoped for Johnson. Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen hit him for gains of 40 and 15 yards during the Cardinals' opening drive before Johnson punched it in from one yard out, breaking a four-game scoreless streak. A Rosen pick-six on the next Arizona possession and some big chunk plays from the Falcons put the game out of reach shortly thereafter. It's a credit to Johnson that he's managed to average nearly 90 total yards per game for what has been a woeful Arizona team. A tough road lays ahead in Weeks 16 and 17 versus the division-rival Rams and Seahawks, squads that have collectively held Johnson to just 3.4 yards per carry this season.

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do David Johnson's 2018 advanced stats compare to other running backs?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Broken Tackle %

The number of broken tackles divided by the number of times he touched the ball.

Positive Run %

The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.

% Yds After Contact

The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.

Avg Yds After Contact

The average rushing yards he gains after contact.

Rushing TD %

Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.

Touches Per Game

The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game

% Snaps w/Touch

The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.

Air Yards Per Game

The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.

Air Yards Per Snap

The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.

% Team Air Yards

The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.

% Team Targets

The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.

Avg Depth of Target

Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.

Catch Rate

The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.

Drop Rate

The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.

See where David Johnson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

Detailed

Grouped

Side

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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense

How does the Rams pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?

The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.

vs Rams

Sunday, Dec 23rd at 4:05PM

Overall QB Rating Against

86.7

Cornerbacks

95.1

Safeties

75.8

Linebackers

80.5

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Measurables Review

How do David Johnson's measurables compare to other running backs?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Sasha Yodashkin reviews Sunday's shorter-than-usual slate and expects Jared Goff to rebounds from his worst performance of the year at home against the reeling Eagles.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2017

2016

2015

After a dominant finish to his rookie campaign, big things were expected from Johnson in 2016, but it's doubtful even his most enthusiastic boosters foresaw what was coming. The 25-year-old seized the Cardinals' starting job by the throat and never let go, recording at least 100 yards from scrimmage in an NFL-record 15 straight games before finally being held in check by a limited snap count in a meaningless Week 17 contest against the Rams. Along the way he scored 20 TDs, piled up 2,118 combined yards and received 72 red-zone touches, leading the league in all three categories and establishing himself as one of the few true every-down backs left in the modern game. Johnson's 6-1, 224-pound frame allows him to run with some power, but it's his elusiveness and speed in the open field that set him apart as a home run threat, and his 34 runs of 10 yards or more tied him for fifth in the NFL. Bruce Arians' offense also took full advantage of Johnson's pass-catching skills, and his 54.9 receiving yards per game led all NFL backs. That 2016 performance may not even represent his ceiling, though. With Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald both in the twilight of their careers, the Arizona attack may end up relying even more heavily on its young stud RB in the coming years, which is a scary thought for opposition defenses.

After a splashy combine and a third-round selection in the spring draft, Johnson's rookie year stumbled from the gate. A balky hamstring held him down in August, and two ball-security issues from Johnson in Week 4 (one fumble, one dropped touchdown pass) sparked a stunning Rams victory in Arizona. Johnson resided in the Bruce Arians doghouse for the next seven games, limited to 30 inconsequential touches, but when the Cardinals needed the rookie for the stretch run, everything exploded. Johnson racked up 599 total yards and five TDs over the next four weeks, averaging 5.3 yards a carry and securing 14 of 20 targets. His signature performance came in front of a national TV audience — a 187-yard, three-touchdown trampling at Philadelphia. Arians confirmed in spring Johnson will be the team's No. 1 back entering camp, with veterans Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington clearly in the background. Johnson is the rare combination of a home-run hitter and a grinder—someone who can score from anywhere on the field, but also a physical back who finishes runs. He's capable of being an electric receiver. The Cardinals finished the season with a stinker, but they had one of the NFL's best offenses. This is a team you want to invest in, and you need to consider Johnson at any point of the first round.

One of the stars of this year's combine, Johnson parlayed impressive performances in almost every drill into a third-round selection by the Cardinals. While his 6-foot-1, 224-pound frame gives him the appearance of a power back, his skill set is more varied than your typical short-yardage specialist, and his pass-catching skills could eventually make him a three-down back. His career at Northern Iowa didn't always rise to the level of his workouts, however, and despite his size he didn't break too many tackles or hit holes with as much authority as expected. At the outset of training camp, Johnson sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain, delaying his first practice to Aug. 17. The development precipitated the signing of veteran Chris Johnson, which could push the rookie down the depth chart and out of consideration for many touches to start the regular season. Acting in David Johnson's favor is Andre Ellington's injury history, but interested owners will have to weigh both sides of the equation before selecting him.